By Our Staff Writer
MONROVIA: House Speaker, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to re-structure the Assert Recovery Team with more professional individuals who have experience and expertise in assert recovery.
In a Joint Radio Interview with journalists in Monrovia recently, Grand Kru County District#2 Representative, Jonathan Fonati Koffa, who is an executive of opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Lawmaker said, “President Boakai’s intent to recover assets has been blurred by certain political elements on the Assert Recovery Team.
Speaker Koffa pointed out that the actions and inactions of such individuals on the Asset Recovery Team have made President Boakai’s intent to appear like a “witch hunt.”
“When you constitute such a team to go after properties of officials of the George Manneh Weah’s administration, then you make the things look like you are only after certain individuals, which appears like a witch hunt,” the House Speaker said during the interview.
Speaker Koffa disclosed that the mandate of the Assert Recovery Team should go beyond targeting only former officials of the erstwhile CDC-led administration but should recover government’s assets from previous administrations, including the 12-year of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration.
He urged President Boakai to hire professional asset recovery firm that will recover government assets that were stolen over 20 years ago.
Speaker Koffa also expressed disdain over the Asset Recovery Team’s decision to confiscate private properties acquired by former Chief Protocol to President George Manneh Weah, Nora Finda Bundoo.
He said the team’s initial false start, in its bid to confiscate Gracious Ride vehicles, was an error and should not be encouraged in a democratic and civilized society.
“You cannot run a serious team like this on rumors. Liberians in government have rights to own properties. You cannot seize someone private property based on rumors of their involvement in corruption. I think it was wrong on the part of the team. They have to do it differently,” the Speaker emphasized.
The ART recently admitted before the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia that it erred in its effort to seize vehicles belonging to the Gracious Ride, a private Liberian transportation company.
The ART also told the High Court Justice in Chamber that it has decided to take steps to follow proper due process in keeping with the law as it goes about legally discharging its duty and function as per the Executive Order #126 issued by President Boakai.
The statement of the Asset Recovery Team was contained in its response to the Writ of Prohibition filed by the Gracious Ride Incorporated which was amended recently to include a prohibition seeking to stop the Asset Recovery team from further investigating the entity.
Supreme Court Justice Yusiff Kaba gave a greenlight to the Asset Recovery Taskforce to proceed with its operations, but in keeping with the laws of Liberia.
